Michigan Ag Connection - Life Expectancy Estimates Available by Neighborhood

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Life Expectancy Estimates Available by Neighborhood
Michigan Ag Connection - 09/17/2018

Life expectancy estimates by Census tract nationally are now available for the first time, allowing public health officials in Michigan and other states to work to improve health outcomes by comparing data neighborhood-by-neighborhood.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) plans to analyze the new data working in coordination with local health partners.

The life expectancy initiative is called the United States Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project. It is a joint effort of the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems that serves as the national nonprofit organization representing the state vital records and public health statistics offices in the United States, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The U.S. Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project has been working with MDHHS and other states in the months leading up to the public release of the data today.

These Census tract-level life expectancy estimates -- based on state death records and population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau -- have previously been unavailable nationwide. Access to estimates like these helps public health officials quantify how people living just a few miles apart can have vastly different opportunities for a long life.

With this kind of information, community leaders can examine the factors that may be influencing differences in longevity -- such as access to health care, safe and affordable housing, educational opportunities, and other factors that impact the health of community members -- and target solutions more effectively.

"Every day MDHHS works to protect, preserve and promote the health and safety of the people of Michigan," said Dr. Eden Wells, MDHHS chief medical executive. "This new data is exciting because it gives us a greater opportunity to better address barriers to healthier and longer lives for Michigan residents. We look forward to working with our local health department partners and others to take positive action based on thorough analysis of this new information now available at the neighborhood level."

Although county-, city-, and ZIP code-level data have provided similar information, they often don't tell the full story as neighborhoods right next to each other -- located within the same ZIP code, city, or county -- can provide drastically different opportunities for health and well-being. Census tract-level data offer information on a much smaller and targeted group of people which makes it easier to create a more complete picture of health at a local level -- although it's important to keep in mind that statistical measures such as life expectancy need to be evaluated with caution. These estimates can vary simply due to random variation or data errors. Census tracts cover an average of 4,000 people who typically have similar characteristics, such as social and economic status.

For more information on the U.S. Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project and to access life expectancy estimates by neighborhood, visit www.naphsis.org/usaleep.

For opportunities to take action locally, the County Health Rankings' What Works for Health is a searchable tool providing evidence-informed policies, programs, systems and environmental changes that can make a difference locally. CDC's Division of Community Health website also provides examples of communities taking action to improve the health of their residents.

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